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Marylegs (44 KP) rated The Name of the Wind in Books
Aug 14, 2019
The Name of the Wind can only be classed as an epic fantasy. The first installment in a series of books I will definitely be carrying on with. I am a great lover of fantasy books, I will not compare it to others as I don’t believe it is that similar to others I have read. True, certain elements seem familiar, the loss of loved ones, finding one’s self, falling in love with an unobtainable person, continuing an education above the class of the main character… I could go on but I won’t. However for all these similarities, it still felt new and fresh in its delivery.
The main character Kvothe is likeable and I was really routing for him. The bulk of the story is told from his perspective as he endeavours to tell his story to a scribe who had come seeking the truth about his extraordinary life. We follow his story from his unlikely beginnings as part of traveling troupe to him becoming nothing short of a hero.
As a sucker for love, I have to say some of the most enjoyable sections of the book involved Denna, as soon and the two meet I could feel the glimmerings of hopefully first love. Without giving anything away, this love doesn’t go the traditional way that most stories would travel. But it is obviously there and knowing that there are more books to read I am sure there is more to Kvothe and Denna story together.
My least liked character has to Ambrose (what a silly girly name to begin with). He is petty and unlikeable from the on start. I feel the dislike between Kvothe and Ambrose will culminate into something sinister which no doubt will be an integral part of the tale…. But I really wish he would get his comeuppance…. Soon.
If like me you want to read a fantasy book that has all the elements you would want; love, conflict, revenge, magic, friendship and injustice. But doesn’t play by all the rules and is obviously building strong foundations towards what hopefully will be an impressive ending, then I believe this book is for you.
The main character Kvothe is likeable and I was really routing for him. The bulk of the story is told from his perspective as he endeavours to tell his story to a scribe who had come seeking the truth about his extraordinary life. We follow his story from his unlikely beginnings as part of traveling troupe to him becoming nothing short of a hero.
As a sucker for love, I have to say some of the most enjoyable sections of the book involved Denna, as soon and the two meet I could feel the glimmerings of hopefully first love. Without giving anything away, this love doesn’t go the traditional way that most stories would travel. But it is obviously there and knowing that there are more books to read I am sure there is more to Kvothe and Denna story together.
My least liked character has to Ambrose (what a silly girly name to begin with). He is petty and unlikeable from the on start. I feel the dislike between Kvothe and Ambrose will culminate into something sinister which no doubt will be an integral part of the tale…. But I really wish he would get his comeuppance…. Soon.
If like me you want to read a fantasy book that has all the elements you would want; love, conflict, revenge, magic, friendship and injustice. But doesn’t play by all the rules and is obviously building strong foundations towards what hopefully will be an impressive ending, then I believe this book is for you.
ClareR (5849 KP) rated The End of the Ocean in Books
Nov 6, 2019
The End of the Ocean by Maja Lunde is Climate Fiction (Cli-Fi) at its best and most stark. At its best, because everything that happens feels as though they are the reasonable consequences of what we are predicted now; most stark, because this is truly a terrible version of the future.
In the present day(2019), 69 year old environmental activist Signe discovers that her home town, and in particular her ex-boyfriend, is responsible for cutting up and shipping off ice from their glacier to sell to the rich, so that they can have glacial ice in their expensive cocktails. She decides to sabotage the shipment, and steals some of it - or what she can carry in her boat. She sails her ship through a terrible storm with the intention of taking it to the person responsible.
In 2041, David and his daughter Lou, arrive at a refugee camp after escaping from war and fire in their French home. There is little water and food, but David is hopeful that his wife and infant son (who they’ve been separated from) will be there or arrive soon.
The two stories are linked when David and Lou find Signe’s boat in the garden of one of the abandoned houses.
This is such a powerful book. It takes current scientific research and arrives at the extreme end of its prediction: drought, famine and war. I had to read it in short chunks, because I found the story so moving and intensely depressing, to be honest. It doesn’t feel exaggerated: I didn’t read it thinking “Well that would NEVER happen”. It’s all too plausible, in fact. I really liked how the two stories ran parallel to one another and joined up in the latter half of the book, with the boat as some sort of symbol of hope.
It’s not all depressing though. There is an element of hope, and we see the enduring strength of the human spirit. I have The History of Bees on my bookshelf, which I will read now - and I’ll definitely look out for the third in this quartet of books.
Many thanks to NetGalley and Simon and Schuster UK for my copy of this book.
In the present day(2019), 69 year old environmental activist Signe discovers that her home town, and in particular her ex-boyfriend, is responsible for cutting up and shipping off ice from their glacier to sell to the rich, so that they can have glacial ice in their expensive cocktails. She decides to sabotage the shipment, and steals some of it - or what she can carry in her boat. She sails her ship through a terrible storm with the intention of taking it to the person responsible.
In 2041, David and his daughter Lou, arrive at a refugee camp after escaping from war and fire in their French home. There is little water and food, but David is hopeful that his wife and infant son (who they’ve been separated from) will be there or arrive soon.
The two stories are linked when David and Lou find Signe’s boat in the garden of one of the abandoned houses.
This is such a powerful book. It takes current scientific research and arrives at the extreme end of its prediction: drought, famine and war. I had to read it in short chunks, because I found the story so moving and intensely depressing, to be honest. It doesn’t feel exaggerated: I didn’t read it thinking “Well that would NEVER happen”. It’s all too plausible, in fact. I really liked how the two stories ran parallel to one another and joined up in the latter half of the book, with the boat as some sort of symbol of hope.
It’s not all depressing though. There is an element of hope, and we see the enduring strength of the human spirit. I have The History of Bees on my bookshelf, which I will read now - and I’ll definitely look out for the third in this quartet of books.
Many thanks to NetGalley and Simon and Schuster UK for my copy of this book.
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BookInspector (124 KP) rated If I Die Before I Wake in Books
Sep 24, 2020
It has a very interesting blurb, and I was expecting a really suspenseful thriller, but it didn’t really impress me.
The main character of this book is Alex, climbing enthusiast who gets paralyzed after climbing accident (or maybe an attempted murder…) He doesn’t remember how the incident happened, and he hears snippets of it and other information with every new visitor. What left me shook and baffled was the situation he was in. His brain was fully functioning but the body didn’t whatsoever. All his inconveniences, cramps, feelings were very painful to read about and really scary, to be honest. You can’t even scratch your itching nose, it is a mental torture! :S
The characters used in this book were not very interesting to me. I did like reading Alex’s story, but I was missing personality and character in other participants of this journey. The whole book was told from Alex’s perspective, and I would have liked to read other people’s perspectives as well. I don’t think other characters were fully utilized in this novel.
I liked that Koch used little snippets of new information in every chapter to kindle the interest to continue, but I didn’t feel tension while reading, and I think it needed some better twists. The dilemma of “To live or to die?”, raised in this book was really difficult and got me thinking, what I would like in such case.
The writing style of this novel was really creative, pleasant and easy to read. The chapters were pretty short and filled with some interesting details of not only Alex’s present but also with memories of his past and his dead mother. All this combination made this book quite an amusing book. After all the suffering and pain, the ending didn’t leave me satisfied as well…:( So to conclude, this novel was really an emotionally difficult journey for me, filled with pain, suffering and helplessness, where you have to choose between death and living. There were some interesting parts which I enjoyed, but it didn’t really work for me. I do hope you will give this book a chance and see for yourself, whether you like it or not. Enjoy 🙂
The main character of this book is Alex, climbing enthusiast who gets paralyzed after climbing accident (or maybe an attempted murder…) He doesn’t remember how the incident happened, and he hears snippets of it and other information with every new visitor. What left me shook and baffled was the situation he was in. His brain was fully functioning but the body didn’t whatsoever. All his inconveniences, cramps, feelings were very painful to read about and really scary, to be honest. You can’t even scratch your itching nose, it is a mental torture! :S
The characters used in this book were not very interesting to me. I did like reading Alex’s story, but I was missing personality and character in other participants of this journey. The whole book was told from Alex’s perspective, and I would have liked to read other people’s perspectives as well. I don’t think other characters were fully utilized in this novel.
I liked that Koch used little snippets of new information in every chapter to kindle the interest to continue, but I didn’t feel tension while reading, and I think it needed some better twists. The dilemma of “To live or to die?”, raised in this book was really difficult and got me thinking, what I would like in such case.
The writing style of this novel was really creative, pleasant and easy to read. The chapters were pretty short and filled with some interesting details of not only Alex’s present but also with memories of his past and his dead mother. All this combination made this book quite an amusing book. After all the suffering and pain, the ending didn’t leave me satisfied as well…:( So to conclude, this novel was really an emotionally difficult journey for me, filled with pain, suffering and helplessness, where you have to choose between death and living. There were some interesting parts which I enjoyed, but it didn’t really work for me. I do hope you will give this book a chance and see for yourself, whether you like it or not. Enjoy 🙂
BookInspector (124 KP) rated Sleeper in Books
Sep 24, 2020
The protagonist in this book is Will, he is a sixteen-year-old spy, and the whole book is set in 1941, during the Second World War. I loved that this book is telling an action-filled story but during WWII! I loved how the author described everything, from guns, cars to buildings and streets.
This story was told from single, Will’s, perspective but it was fully sufficient for me, as this story was trying to keep the secrets and give out all the findings slowly. I really liked how J. D. Fennell chose the characters for this novel. The character’s personalities fitted them really well, and all the characters were very interesting to read about. I really liked Will, I think he is very suitable to be a protagonist, he has these super cool qualities, but at the same time, he is very human-like, where he gets injured and suffers from tiredness.
I read this book after a slow one, so all the pace and action was very needed for me. The story keeps moving in every chapter, Will is always on the run, so the setting is constantly changing, but I absolutely loved how the author described wartime London. J.D Fennell transferred the view and the spirit of that time perfectly to me. I felt like I was next to Will during his adventures. 😀 I liked that this story carries a lot of feelings, friendships, loss, and it is very interesting to see how Will is dealing with all of this.
I found the writing style easy and pleasant to read, the chapters are pretty short and it made the whole reading experience quite fast. The ending was very well deserved and left me fully satisfied. So, to conclude, if you like stories like Bourne or Maze Runner, I think you will enjoy this one as well. The characters are very well developed, and the plot is constantly moving. I think this book would be an amazing action/adventure film, and I hope it will come to screens someday. I strongly recommend this book, and I hope you will enjoy it as much as I did…
This story was told from single, Will’s, perspective but it was fully sufficient for me, as this story was trying to keep the secrets and give out all the findings slowly. I really liked how J. D. Fennell chose the characters for this novel. The character’s personalities fitted them really well, and all the characters were very interesting to read about. I really liked Will, I think he is very suitable to be a protagonist, he has these super cool qualities, but at the same time, he is very human-like, where he gets injured and suffers from tiredness.
I read this book after a slow one, so all the pace and action was very needed for me. The story keeps moving in every chapter, Will is always on the run, so the setting is constantly changing, but I absolutely loved how the author described wartime London. J.D Fennell transferred the view and the spirit of that time perfectly to me. I felt like I was next to Will during his adventures. 😀 I liked that this story carries a lot of feelings, friendships, loss, and it is very interesting to see how Will is dealing with all of this.
I found the writing style easy and pleasant to read, the chapters are pretty short and it made the whole reading experience quite fast. The ending was very well deserved and left me fully satisfied. So, to conclude, if you like stories like Bourne or Maze Runner, I think you will enjoy this one as well. The characters are very well developed, and the plot is constantly moving. I think this book would be an amazing action/adventure film, and I hope it will come to screens someday. I strongly recommend this book, and I hope you will enjoy it as much as I did…
Debbiereadsbook (1407 KP) rated Tofu Cowboy (Big Sky Cowboys #1) in Books
Oct 28, 2020
wonderful read
Independent reviewer for Archaeolibrarian, I was gifted my copy of this book.
Luke is hiding a secret from his brothers. He takes art classes, and this particular class has a live model today, Maddie. Maddie has a secret too, and it may just break her heart to tell Luke.
My first and lasting feeling about this book is CUTE! Not quite enough to tag it "too stinking cute" but it lands itself well and truly on the "warm and fuzzies" shelf.
It's mostly not too stinking cute simply because of the secret Maddie carries in her soul. It doesn't say it on the blurb, so I'm not saying it here, but it really does break your heart when she tells Luke about it. More so the reasons WHY its like this.
It's steamy, so steamy, but what I really liked about this one was, the time it takes for Luke and Maddie to get down and dirty. They WAIT. They both know it's inevitable they will be jumping into bed together, but they want to get to know each other, properly, before that happens, and I really rather loved that.
As well as the steam, there is emotions, so many emotional moments for such a short book. It's also funny. Maddie is witty and her and Luke banter off each other right from the start. It has some real, actual laugh out loud moments, and I rarely, I mean RARELY react verbally when I'm reading. So well played!
Loved the interaction between Luke and his brothers, but equally, loved that when they found Luke hurting, they shut that sh*t straight down and rallied around him, helping him get the girl of his dreams.
It says its 152 pages, I read it in just over an hour. A great, easy read, perfect for the bath tub or lunch break.
It also appears to be this author's debut novel. So Very VERY well done, one to watch. This is billed as the first in the Big Sky Romances series, I hope it covers Luke's brothers. Billy especially, cos even the little we saw of him here, I can tell he is hurting.
4 really REALLY good stars
**same worded review will appear elsewhere**
Luke is hiding a secret from his brothers. He takes art classes, and this particular class has a live model today, Maddie. Maddie has a secret too, and it may just break her heart to tell Luke.
My first and lasting feeling about this book is CUTE! Not quite enough to tag it "too stinking cute" but it lands itself well and truly on the "warm and fuzzies" shelf.
It's mostly not too stinking cute simply because of the secret Maddie carries in her soul. It doesn't say it on the blurb, so I'm not saying it here, but it really does break your heart when she tells Luke about it. More so the reasons WHY its like this.
It's steamy, so steamy, but what I really liked about this one was, the time it takes for Luke and Maddie to get down and dirty. They WAIT. They both know it's inevitable they will be jumping into bed together, but they want to get to know each other, properly, before that happens, and I really rather loved that.
As well as the steam, there is emotions, so many emotional moments for such a short book. It's also funny. Maddie is witty and her and Luke banter off each other right from the start. It has some real, actual laugh out loud moments, and I rarely, I mean RARELY react verbally when I'm reading. So well played!
Loved the interaction between Luke and his brothers, but equally, loved that when they found Luke hurting, they shut that sh*t straight down and rallied around him, helping him get the girl of his dreams.
It says its 152 pages, I read it in just over an hour. A great, easy read, perfect for the bath tub or lunch break.
It also appears to be this author's debut novel. So Very VERY well done, one to watch. This is billed as the first in the Big Sky Romances series, I hope it covers Luke's brothers. Billy especially, cos even the little we saw of him here, I can tell he is hurting.
4 really REALLY good stars
**same worded review will appear elsewhere**
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Debbiereadsbook (1407 KP) rated An Unrivaled Off Season (Hockey Ever After #3.5) in Books
Apr 8, 2024
perfect for these two!
Independent reviewer for Archaeolibrarian, I was gifted my copy of this book.
This is book 3.5 in the Hockey Ever After series, and you MUST read book 3, Unrivaled, before you read this one. This is a continuation of Max and Grady's story. The other books are not necessary though, but they are all 4 and 5 star reads.
What this is, is an immediate pick up from Unrivaled and the summer that Max and Grady spent at Max's home in New Bruinswick. (I have no clue where that is, in relation to Florida or California, but I know its north and colder that those two places!)
Both men are wanting to ask THE QUESTION, but neither man can figure out how best to do it and what follows is a wonderful 100 odd pages of them getting up the courage and spitting the darn question out. But things keep happening and the question comes, finally, at the most perfect time!
These guys love each other, and they make no bones about it! I loved that the smexy times is again fade to grey, maybe even to black, but hey! I don't care! Yes I usually like the smexier times, but I'm big enough and ugly enough to admit that it's not always necessary and these guys do fade to grey perfectly!
I loved the way these two integrated into each others lives, homes, and hearts. They are quite devious in gettting what they want, and I loved that neither one really realsied what the other was doing!
It's got laugh out loud moments (or in my case, a croak cos I have a raging sore throat!) It's got so much love. It's got guys from book 1, Gabe and Dante, playing a huge part. It's got some emotional bits, mostly when Max and Grady are having the internal conversations with themselves about asking the question, but it's not heavy. It's a lighthearted read and it was the perfect way to spend a lazy Sunday morning.
I don't ususally give such short reads 5 stars, since I almost ALWAY want more, but this one??
5 full and shiny stars!
*same worded review will appear elsewhere
This is book 3.5 in the Hockey Ever After series, and you MUST read book 3, Unrivaled, before you read this one. This is a continuation of Max and Grady's story. The other books are not necessary though, but they are all 4 and 5 star reads.
What this is, is an immediate pick up from Unrivaled and the summer that Max and Grady spent at Max's home in New Bruinswick. (I have no clue where that is, in relation to Florida or California, but I know its north and colder that those two places!)
Both men are wanting to ask THE QUESTION, but neither man can figure out how best to do it and what follows is a wonderful 100 odd pages of them getting up the courage and spitting the darn question out. But things keep happening and the question comes, finally, at the most perfect time!
These guys love each other, and they make no bones about it! I loved that the smexy times is again fade to grey, maybe even to black, but hey! I don't care! Yes I usually like the smexier times, but I'm big enough and ugly enough to admit that it's not always necessary and these guys do fade to grey perfectly!
I loved the way these two integrated into each others lives, homes, and hearts. They are quite devious in gettting what they want, and I loved that neither one really realsied what the other was doing!
It's got laugh out loud moments (or in my case, a croak cos I have a raging sore throat!) It's got so much love. It's got guys from book 1, Gabe and Dante, playing a huge part. It's got some emotional bits, mostly when Max and Grady are having the internal conversations with themselves about asking the question, but it's not heavy. It's a lighthearted read and it was the perfect way to spend a lazy Sunday morning.
I don't ususally give such short reads 5 stars, since I almost ALWAY want more, but this one??
5 full and shiny stars!
*same worded review will appear elsewhere
Hazel (2934 KP) rated Unseen: No. 7 in Books
Jan 12, 2018
I haven't read any previous novels with these characters so didn't know any background to them but it didn't seem to matter to me as Karin was adept at shedding light on history but not too much that the story became confusing and bogged down which can happen.
I found it to be an exciting story that, unfortunately, is very plausible in this day and age (wow, I sound like my mum!) and it kept me interested throughout. The descriptions of places, people, situations, injuries, etc were vivid and, I felt, accurate enough to enable me to develop detailed pictures in my mind as I was reading which made it all the more real.
Some of my thoughts on the main characters:
Lena - I didn't like her at first but once the character started to develop I found myself on her side and defending her like she was a real person.
Sara - annoying but likeable in a strange way. She came across to me as quite a hard and unforgiving person but I think I warmed to her in the end.
Will - my favourite loved him - a very complex character that I want to know more about. A tough exterior with a very soft centre and a good heart; brave and fearless and someone you would want on your side.
There was one negative that I found and it was that I thought the chapters were way too long - I hate stopping midway through a chapter but if you only have a short amount of time to get a few pages read, you have to with this book which I found quite frustrating.
Overall though, I enjoyed it so much I will be reading more and would definitely recommend to people who love a fast paced crime thriller.
I found it to be an exciting story that, unfortunately, is very plausible in this day and age (wow, I sound like my mum!) and it kept me interested throughout. The descriptions of places, people, situations, injuries, etc were vivid and, I felt, accurate enough to enable me to develop detailed pictures in my mind as I was reading which made it all the more real.
Some of my thoughts on the main characters:
Lena - I didn't like her at first but once the character started to develop I found myself on her side and defending her like she was a real person.
Sara - annoying but likeable in a strange way. She came across to me as quite a hard and unforgiving person but I think I warmed to her in the end.
Will - my favourite loved him - a very complex character that I want to know more about. A tough exterior with a very soft centre and a good heart; brave and fearless and someone you would want on your side.
There was one negative that I found and it was that I thought the chapters were way too long - I hate stopping midway through a chapter but if you only have a short amount of time to get a few pages read, you have to with this book which I found quite frustrating.
Overall though, I enjoyed it so much I will be reading more and would definitely recommend to people who love a fast paced crime thriller.